I'd start with defense.....Dalton would have the snaps from starting the remaining games. Hitting a QB in the draft even in the first picks is a lottery win. Defense backs are usually a safer choice. The key would be having Dak's money to have additional options.
I was talking past 2020.
If you were to go with Dalton past 2020, you would need to resign him. And while he signed a really cheap 1 year deal to be the backup QB, I have a hard time believing he would sign for that low to be the starting QB. You are most likely looking at something like the Bridgewater deal (~$14 million / year), if not a Fitzgerald deal (~$21 miilion / year), to sign a vet to be a starting QB.
But even with Dak's contract, we have quite a bit of spending room (~$24 million) which apparently is 6th most in the NFL.
Even then, we did not sign the following "big name" players that switched teams in 2020:
- Jadaveon Clowney - $15 million / 1 year and sat there for 95% of free agency
- Byron Jones - $16.5 million a year / 5 years
- DJ Reader - $13.5 million a year / 4 years
- Corey Littleton - $12 million a year / 3 years
- James Bradberry - $15 million a year / 3 years
- Dante Fowler - $16 million a year / 3 years
Which contract could the Cowboys NOT afford there because of Dak? Hell, Earl Thomas is sitting there for the taking, and NO ONE is signing him.
I think the narrative that Dallas can't afford anyone on D because of Dak is hyperbolic at best.
- Dallas has sunk a lot of money on the D
- Unfortunately, this was on two guys who are not doing much (DLaw) or doing almost everything wrong (Jaylon)
- Those 2 will count ~$35 million against the cap in 2021
- Good news, another guy who does not do much (Crawford) is scheduled to become a free agent this year, so that could free up ~$9 million in cap space
- Everson Griffin's, who has not done much so far in 2020 but virtually everyone cried to sign, 6 million gone after the season
- Then add the guys who can't stay healthy
- Then about ~$10 million in dead space comes free in 2021 (Fredbeard's sudden retirement, Taco, Ha-Ha, Flemming, ect...)
So let me ask, is the issue that Dak is taking up too much cap room, or are the Cowboys spending too much money / high draft picks on defensive players that don't perform up to their contracts?
If my stance is not clear, not signing Dak is almost guaranteed to send the Cowboys to the bottom of the NFL for the foreseeable future, with or without Dalton, another Vet and/or drafted QB. Dalton is probably the worst playoff QB in NFL history, a good veteran QB is not likely to be available and as you mentioned, it takes a lot of luck drafting a QB, even really high.
I rather spend premium on a guy who is playing close to the contract then to save some money and end up paying a guy(s) to become a complete letdown and not coming close to his contract status.
JMHO